Miami

Miami Beach Gears Up for Urban Beach Week

Police and volunteers on Miami Beach are gearing up for Memorial Day weekend, which is like the Super Bowl for the beach. For the next few days the pace and crowds will pick up significantly.

From dusk to dawn, and from now until Monday, hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over will party in Miami beach.

"We are going to see a lot of beautiful women good weather and enjoy the beach," said one tourist.

Its Urban Beach Week, a multi-day festival dominated by hip hop, food and of course tourists. Hundreds of cops from multiple jurisdictions have the job of keeping hundreds of thousands of people safe. And it starts at the causeways.

"At the entrances to our causeways--the Julia Tuttle Causeway and MacArthur Causeway we are going to have our license plate readers out so any vehicle that comes into the city is actually going to be read by that license plate reader," said officer Ernesto Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police Department. "That reader is going to check for stolen vehicles---just do a comprehensive check of everything that has to do with that vehicle."

From causeways to the sidewalks, police are already cracking down on Ocean Drive.

Traffic in the city is also getting an overhaul. Only locals can access residential streets, everybody else has to loop around some of the major roadways. And during certain times Ocean Drive will be pedestrian only.

Volunteers will be out in full force helping the police. They actually work for the city or county, but are giving up their personal time to make sure police and tourists get along.

"We are here to help defuse and de-escalate any tension. We are here to empathize with the people and assist them," said a city official.

For more information about Urban Beach Week events and traffic plans, click here.

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